Jodhpur: A team of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) on Friday sent the ashes collected from a site in Jodhpur to New Delhi for a DNA test to ascertain if they were the remains of Rajasthan nurse Bhanwari Devi, while a court extended the custody of sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna, arrested for his alleged role in her disappearance....

New Delhi: Friday proved to be the coldest day of the year in many parts of North India. In Delhi, the maximum temperature plummeted to the season's lowest of 16.9 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature, however, was 12.4 degrees. The city also experienced rain and a hailstorm. The Met department has predicted more showers on Saturday....

Beirut: A suicide bomber killed 26 people and wounded 63 in Damascus on Friday, Syria's interior minister said, vowing an "iron fist" response to the carnage in the heart of the Syrian capital after similar attacks two weeks ago.

The blast came two days before an Arab League committee was due to discuss an initial report by Arab observers who are checking Syria's compliance with an Arab plan to halt President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on nearly 10 months of unrest....

Kabul: The elusive Afghan Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, who had called on his warriors last November to continue the war against NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, has now confirmed having opened peace talks with the US authorities, Geo News reported.....

MOSCOW: Iran plans to hold new and "massive" naval exercises near the strategic Strait of Hormuz within the next few weeks, Fars news agency reported on Friday.

The report came as Tehran's tensions with the West continue to escalate following threats of new sanctions against the Islamic republic over its controversial nuclear programme....

SYDNEY: It was an afternoon of darkness for Indian cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday. Michael Clarke's bowlers completed the job for Australia less than hour into the final session of play to help the hosts grab an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-Test series for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.....

Doha: Top-seeded Rafael Nadal was hustled out of the Qatar Open in the semi-finals on Friday, joining second-seeded Roger Federer at the Doha exit door after the Swiss star pulled out with a back injury....

HYDERABAD: World No. 6 Jiang Yanjiao downed India's Saina Nehwal 21-17, 21-10 in the quarterfinals of Korea Open Super Series Premier at Seoul on Friday.

Jiang, who is nowhere near China's best shuttlers, surprised Saina with her sharpness at the net. "Today I was off colour. I started well and was sure too to wrap first set but could not. I was playing well but all my smashes and drops went in wrong direction," Saina told TOI from Seoul.....

Kota. Four new topics in Kota Medical College has been preparing for PG. The Pathology, Pism, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology covers the topic. Medical Kaunsinl of India to inspect these departments....

Kota. Jawahar Nagar marriage Shreeji recently caught fire early Friday. Bhagwat Katha was going on four days. Stage legend was made to fire. Fire has destroyed the entire stage. The pilgrims were about 20-25 marriage of fire and the fire brigade who Bujayi the fire. Fears have been expressed that ignited the whole story at the site holding a cat knocked the fire took the stage....